Weekend Box Office: GRAN TURISMO and BARBIE Lead National Cinema Day Weekend

©2023 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.

National Cinema Day

With National Cinema Day on Sunday, the second such annual celebration of moviegoing in the U.S., all tickets at participating locations were $4. That includes premium formats like IMAX and 3D.

As a result, Sunday was the highest-grossing day at this weekend’s box office, earning an estimated $34.3M total, above Saturday with $28.6M and Friday with $27.5M.

Put another way, Sunday earned about 38% of the weekend box office. By comparison, last weekend, Sunday earned 28%.

Films which posted their mildest weekend declines to date this weekend include:

Film

Decline

Previous best

Oppenheimer

-16%

-35%

Barbie

-19%

-36%

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

-24%

-30%

Meg 2: The Trench

-25%

-47%

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

-29%

-44%

Haunted Mansion

-30%

-37%

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

-39%

-41%


Monday Update: While Sunday’s studio weekend estimates were originally too close to call for the top spot, Sony Pictures’ Gran Turismo won out in the end.

Their updated estimate on Monday was $17.4M, slightly higher than their original $17.3M Sunday estimate.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ updated estimate on Monday for Barbie was $15.1M, considerably lower than their original $17.1M Sunday estimate.

What follows is Boxoffice PRO‘s original article from Sunday.


Gran Turismo

Sony Pictures’ auto racing drama attempted to rev up at the weekend box office with an estimated $17.3M debut.

That’s only about +1% ahead of Barbie’s weekend estimates with $17.1M. Their Sunday estimates are so close that their rankings may reverse upon release of Monday afternoon actuals.

Stay tuned to this page for a Monday afternoon update.

Compared to the wide openings of some other auto racing films of the past decades, that’s:

  • -72% above 2013’s Rush: $10.0M
  • 2.1x above 2019’s The Art of Racing in the Rain: $8.1M
  • 2.2x above 2017’s Logan Lucky: $7.6M

Compared to some other action films based on video games in recent years, that’s also:

  • +68% above 2016’s Assassin’s Creed: $10.2M
  • +27% above 2017’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter ($13.6M)
  • -25% below 2021’s Mortal Kombat: $23.3M  [opened day-and-date in cinemas and streaming on Max]
  • -26% below 2018’s Tomb Raider: $23.6M
  • -28% below 2016’s Warcraft: $24.1M
  • -60% below 2022’s Uncharted: $44.0M

Overseas / global

After opening earlier this month in select overseas markets, Turismo has earned $36.5M overseas and $53.8M globally, or 67% from overseas.

In holdover markets, the film fell only -28% this weekend.

Barbie

In its sixth frame, Warner Bros.’ comedy declines only -19% to $17.1M, tentatively repeating in the runner-up slot after spending four frames in first place.

Again, that’s so close to Gran Turismo with $17.3M that their rankings may reverse upon release of Monday afternoon actuals.

Stay tuned to this page for a Monday afternoon update.

All time, Barbie has now earned the:

  • #20 opening weekend: $162.0M
  • #7 sophomore weekend: $93.0M
  • #11 third weekend: $53.0M
  • #9 fourth weekend: $33.9M
  • #11 fifth weekend: $21.0M
  • #9 sixth weekend: $17.1M

With $594.8M total through 38 days, it now ranks as the #14 biggest movie of all time, between 2018’s Incredibles 2 with $608.5M and April’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie with $574.3M.

Last Wednesday, Barbie surpassed Mario to become the highest-grossing film of 2023. It’s running +3% and counting ahead of Mario’s final total: $574.3M.

Overseas / global

This weekend, Barbie declined -32% overseas in holdover markets, steeper than its -19% domestic drop.

It’s now earned $745.5M overseas and $1.34B globally, or 55% from overseas.

Globally, that’s already the #18 film of all time, ranking between 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with $1.34B and 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi with $1.33B.

It also ranks #2 of the year so far, behind only April’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie: $1.45B.

Blue Beetle

Last weekend, Warner Bros.’ superhero movie debuted in first place with $25.0M, a first place opening but lower than every other recent DC Extended Universe films.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -49% to $12.7M and third place.

Buoyed by National Cinema Day, that’s a milder drop than most other 2020s DC Extended Universe titles:

  • 2022’s Black Adam: -59%
  • March’s Shazam!: Fury of the Gods – -69%
  • 2021’s The Suicide Squad: -71%     [released day-and-date simultaneously in cinemas and streaming on Max]
  • June’s The Flash: -72%

It even declined more mildly than the lone August release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy: -55%.

However, it fell just slightly steeper than February 2020’s Birds of Prey: -48%.

Overseas / global

This weekend, Beetle declined -52% overseas, slightly steeper than its -49% domestic drop.

It’s earned $35.5M overseas and $81.8M globally, or 43% from overseas.

That’s potentially on track to become the lowest-grossing DC Extended Universe film globally, currently March’s Fury of the Gods: $132.1M.

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/rhapsody-in-blue-director-angel-manuel-soto-finally-gets-his-shot-at-the-big-screen-with-warner-bros-superhero-caper-blue-beetle/ 

Oppenheimer

In its sixth frame, Universal’s historical war drama declines only -16% to $9.0M, falling from third to fourth place.

While its second, third, and fourth weekends all ranked in the top 100 of all time, last frame it fell out of that tier for its fifth weekend. Now it reenters that territory once again, with the #88 sixth weekend of all time.

With $300.0M total through 38 days, it now ranks as the #103 biggest movie of all time domestically, between two Twilight films: 2010’s Eclipse with $300.5M and 2009’s New Moon with $297.8M.

On Friday, Oppenheimer also surpassed Inception to become writer-director Christopher Nolan’s biggest non-Batman film. Here’s how Oppenheimer compares to his other biggest original titles:

  • +2% and counting above the final total for 2010’s Inception: $292.5M
  • +57% and counting above the final total for 2017’s Dunkirk: $190.0M

+59% and counting above the final total for 2014’s Interstellar: $188.0M

Oppenheimer also stands as the #7 biggest R-rated movie of all time domestically, between 2018’s Deadpool 2 with $324.5M and 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded with $281.5M.

Oppenheimer stands a shot at finishing among the top five R-rated films, with a small shot at #1. Currently, that mark has been held for 19 years by 2004’s The Passion of the Christ: $370.7M.

However, it’s running slightly behind all the top five R-rated films ever, through the equivalent 38-day point in wide release.

Oppenheimer has also set another unusual record: highest-grossing film to never top a weekend box office.

It surpassed the prior record holder, 2016’s Sing with $270.3M, which peaked at #2 behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Overseas / global

This weekend, Oppenheimer declined -31% overseas, steeper than its -16% domestic drop.

Oppenheimer has earned $477.1M overseas and $777.1M globally, or 61% from overseas.

Globally, it’s now the #111 film of all time, ranking between 2016’s Deadpool with $782.8M and 1977’s Star Wars with $775.3M, when including subsequent theatrical re-releases.

Oppenheimer has also overtaken Nolan’s other non-Batman films:

  • +6% and counting above the final global total for Inception: $728M
  • +20% and counting above the final global total for Interstellar: $648M
  • +46% and counting above the final global total for Dunkirk: $530M

The film will debut in China later this month.

IMAX

Oppenheimer has earned $84.1M domestically and $154.5M globally from IMAX, the #4 domestic and #5 global IMAX total of all time.

Globally, it only trails 2009’s Avatar, 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

In its fourth frame, Paramount’s animated action comedy reboot declines only -29% to $6.1M, falling from fourth to fifth place.

After a midweek Wednesday debut, Mayhem has earned $98.1M after 26 days, already outgrossing two of the last three films in the franchise:

  • +19% and counting above the final total for 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – $82.0M
  • +81% and counting above the final total for 2007’s TMNT: $54.1M

However, it’s running below both the franchise’s 2014 installment and another comparable title, through the equivalent point in release:

  • -41% below 2014’s hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: $167.1M
  • -28% below 2018’s similar animation style Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse – $136.8M

Overseas / global

This weekend, Mayhem declined -37% overseas in holdover markets, steeper than its -29% domestic drop.

Mayhem has now earned $37.0M overseas and $135.1M globally, or 27% from overseas.

It looks certain not to reach the $485M global total for 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or the $245M global total for 2016’s Out of the Shadows.

Later this month and next, the film will debut in key markets including Australia, South Korea, and Japan.

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Mutant Mayhem director Jeff Rowe here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/raising-shell-director-jeff-rowe-brings-passion-and-nostalgia-to-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem/ 

Strays

Last weekend, Universal’s R-rated talking dog comedy Strays played dead with an $8.2M debut in fifth place.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -43% to $4.6M and seventh place.

Compared to this year’s other R-rated comedies, that’s steeper than February’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance with -35%, but milder than June’s No Hard Feelings with -48% and July’s Joy Ride with -54%.

Compared to other August R-rated comedies of the past decade, it’s also milder than:

  • 2019’s Good Boys: -46%
  • 2018’s The Spy Who Dumped Me: -47%
  • 2016’s War Dogs: -52%
  • 2018’s The Happytime Murders: -54%
  • 2016’s Sausage Party: -55%

However, it’s steeper than 2014’s Let’s Be Cops: -39%

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Strays director Josh Greenbaum here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/canine-cinema-strays-takes-a-bite-out-of-the-cinema-this-summer/ 

Elsewhere at the box office

Warner Bros.’ shark-themed thriller Meg 2: The Trench takes sixth place with a -25% decline to $5.1M, in its fourth frame.

Trench has earned $74.4M after 24 days. That’s -38% below 2018’s original The Meg through the equivalent point in release: $120.5M.

Briarcliff’s sports drama The Hill climbed the hill in its opening with an eighth place debut of $2.5M on 1,570 screens, less than half of the widest releases in the market.

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with The Hill director Jeff Celentano here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/mounting-the-hill-director-jeff-celentano-on-surmounting-the-odds-and-hitting-the-big-screen/ 

Disney’s family horror comedy Haunted Mansion takes ninth place with a -30% decline to $2.1M, in its fifth frame.

It’s earned $62.2M through 31 days. That’s -3% below 2003’s original Haunted Mansion through the equivalent point in release: $64.7M. (That’s without adjusting for ticket price inflation.)

While the new version had been running ahead through the equivalent point in release, it finally fell behind its predecessor last Thursday, on their respective 28th days of release.

Paramount’s action-adventure sequel Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One declines a mere -24% decline to $2.0M, in its seventh frame.

After a midweek Wednesday release, it’s earned $168.0M through 47 days. That trails both its two Mission: Impossible predecessors through the equivalent point in release: -21% below 2018’s Fallout with $213.1M, and -11% below 2015’s Rogue Nation with $188.9M.

Angel Studios’ faith-based action drama Sound of Freedom declines a mild -23% drop to $2.0M, in its eighth frame.

With $181.0M after 55 days, Sound is certainly the biggest box office surprise of 2023 so far. It’s earned more than such expected summer blockbusters as the new Fast and the Furious, Indiana Jones, Fast and the Furious, and Mission: Impossible installments, plus The Flash and Pixar’s Elemental.

It’s also the #10 film from calendar year 2023 so far (including 2022 holdovers), and ranks #15 all time among films which never topped a weekend box office.

Bleecker Street’s political war drama Golda opened to $1.7M on 883 screens, about one-fifth of the widest releases in the market.

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Golda director Guy Nattiv here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/precious-mettle-director-guy-nattiv-brings-the-iron-lady-of-israel-to-the-big-screen-in-golda/ 

Universal’s 30th anniversary re-release of 1993’s Jurassic Park resurrected to $1.7M on 1,224 screens, less than one-third of the widest releases in the market.

That’s -35% below the re-release of Steven Spielberg’s fellow thriller Jaws on last year’s National Cinema Day weekend: $2.6M.

In platform release, MGM’s R-rated high school comedy Bottoms opened with an estimated $516,254 on 10 screens, for a $51,625 per-screen average.

That ranks #4 among averages so far in 2023, behind only:

  1. June’s Asteroid City: $142,230
  2. April’s Beau is Afraid: $80,099
  3. June’s Past Lives: $58,067

Bottoms expands to around 700 theaters next weekend.


Weekend comparisons

Total box office this weekend came in around $89.3M.

Here’s how this weekend compares to last weekend, the same weekend last year, and the same weekend in the last pre-pandemic year of 2019:

Weekend

Total

This weekend is:

Leader

Last weekend

$96.9M

-7%

Blue Beetle: $25.0M

Same weekend in 2022

$52.1M

+71%

The Invitation: $6.8M

Same weekend in 2019

$108.7M

-17%

Angel Has Fallen: $21.3M

YTD comparisons

Year-to-date box office stands around $6.54B.

Here’s how that compares to last year and the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, through the equivalent point:

Year

YTD total

2023 YTD now:

2023 YTD after last weekend:

Trend

2022

$5.21B

+25.4%

+25.0%

Up

2019

$7.65B

-14.4%

-14.5%

Up

Top distributors

Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:

  1. Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight + Star: $1.62B
  2. Universal + Focus Features: $1.48B
  3. Warner Bros.: $987.9M
  4. Sony Pictures + Sony Classics + Crunchyroll: $734.1M
  5. Paramount: $683.7M

Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:

Title  Estimated weekend  % change Locations Location change Average  Total  Weekend Distributor
Gran Turismo $17,300,000   3,856   $4,487 $17,300,000 1 Sony Pictures
Barbie $17,100,000 -19% 3,736 -267 $4,577 $594,801,000 6 Warner Bros.
Blue Beetle $12,765,000 -49% 3,871   $3,298 $46,309,000 2 Warner Bros.
Oppenheimer $9,000,000 -16% 2,872 -449 $3,134 $300,024,000 6 Universal
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem $6,100,000 -29% 3,145 -332 $1,940 $98,143,000 4 Paramount
Meg 2: The Trench $5,100,000 -25% 2,932 -470 $1,739 $74,433,000 4 Warner Bros.
Strays $4,650,000 -44% 3,232 9 $1,439 $16,126,000 2 Universal
The Hill $2,515,000   1,570   $1,602 $2,515,000 1 Briarcliff
Haunted Mansion $2,100,000 -31% 1,630 -550 $1,288 $62,256,861 5 Disney
Talk To Me $2,088,501 -33% 1,321 -1,058 $1,581 $41,066,389 5 A24
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One $2,075,000 -24% 1,680 72 $1,235 $168,063,000 7 Paramount
Sound of Freedom $2,001,292 -23% 1,602 -550 $1,249 $181,037,214 8 Angel Studios
Golda $1,723,337   883   $1,952 $1,723,337 1 Bleecker Street
Jurassic Park [30th anniversary re-release] $1,700,000   1,224   $1,389     Universal
The Last Voyage of the Demeter $790,000 -68% 1,381 -1,334 $572 $13,296,000 3 Universal
Bottoms $516,254   10   $51,625 $516,254 1 MGM
The Little Mermaid $510,000 1760% 1,600 1,560 $319 $297,755,905 14 Disney
Elemental $300,000 -20% 235 -150 $1,277 $151,698,579 11 Disney
The Super Mario Bros. Movie $280,000 2086% 1,451 1,383 $193 $574,548,000 21 Universal
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny $270,000 -39% 245 -220 $1,102 $174,133,602 9 Disney
Oldboy $182,000 -63% 182 -68 $1,000 $2,150,705 962 Neon
Theater Camp $120,000 -11% 120 -10 $1,000 $3,638,208 7 Searchlight [Disney]
Asteroid City $76,000 245% 310 266 $245 $28,031,000 11 Focus Features [Universal]
Catvideofest 2023 $39,350 -32% 22 -4 $1,789 $366,934 4 Oscilloscope
Jules $36,818 -84% 65 -580 $566 $1,770,389 3 Bleecker Street
Fremont $16,236   4   $4,059 $16,236 1 Music Box Films
Scrapper $15,079   4   $3,770 $15,079 1 Kino Lorber
Piaffe $5,120   1   $5,120 $5,120 1 Oscilloscope
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